Protester Bring Queen Street To A Halt

Auckland’s Queen Street has been brought
to a halt this afternoon after a group opposing the
atrocities in East Timor took to the streets in
protest.

The group marched up Queen Street to the Heritage
Hotel where the Indonesian delegation is in residence.
Protest leaders intend on issuing a letter expressing their
dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in halting the
killings in Dili and East Timor by marauding pro-Jakarta
militia.

The protest action is certain to be a signal of
more to come as passions flare over the brutal killings
which have gathered momentum in East Timor over the past
week.

Meanwhile, key APEC ministerial meetings are
underway at Auckland’s Town Hall with the agenda being set
for the leader’s summit meetings scheduled for this Sunday
and Monday.

New Zealand foreign affairs minister Don
McKinnon will meet with his Canadian counterpart this
afternoon to discuss a meeting of APEC leader
representatives set for tomorrow. Mr McKinnon will also will
meet the Indonesian foreign minister who also is due to
arrive in Auckland today.

The United States’s secretary of
state, Madeleine Albright is already in Auckland and will
also meet with Mr McKinnon today.

Ms Albright has already
met with a group of APEC Asian government representatives to
discuss East Timor.

British foreign minister Robin Cooke
is also due to arrive today to add weight to the East Timor
crisis special meeting which is being organised by the
Canadian foreign
minister.

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